Russia’s Only Aircraft Carrier Huge Floating Dry Dock Accidentally Sunk. one of the world’s largest floating dry docks, known as PD-50, has sunk while Russia’s aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov was aboard. According to reports, the dry dock began to sink suddenly, collapsing cranes onto the carrier’s deck and sending shipyard workers scrambling for their lives.
Photos of the PD-50's 70-ton cranes with the first showing one of the cranes laying on the Kuznetsov's deck. Another photo (the 4th one) purportedly from today, shows that the crane has apparently already been removed from the deck.
Via: @MMK_____ and @iren_maxx pic.twitter.com/CvtALEB8MO— Rob Lee (@RALee85) October 30, 2018
The dry dock is located at 82nd Repair Shipyard in the village of Roslyakovo. The shipyard there primarily supports Russia’s Northern Fleet based out of nearby Severomorsk.
A photo taken today from the 35th Ship Repair Yard, where the Kuznetsov was towed, shows the crane still laying on the flight deck of the Kuznetsov. Rakhmanov said the repairs to the deck should only take a week and a half.https://t.co/XhX9awN9Kf pic.twitter.com/ncQXPVfa2R
— Rob Lee (@RALee85) October 30, 2018
We don’t know exactly how many people were hurt or killed in the incident, but apparently, there were casualties. According to Russian media outlets,” the vessel suffered no damage after the incident at the 82nd shipbuilding plant.”
There are reports that there was some kind of accident at the 82 Ship Repair Plant with the Admiral Kuznetsov. Apparently, its PD-50 floating dock, sank suddenly while workers were on it, and caused two cranes to collapse. One worker is reported missing.https://t.co/zAhZ4Qydj4 pic.twitter.com/k35480iqI8
— Rob Lee (@RALee85) October 29, 2018
The most recent reports state that “two victims remain in hospitals, two received outpatient care, another person went missing.” As for the carrier’s condition, officials from the shipyard claim the Kuznetsov is undamaged and that her refit schedule will not be affected. At the same time, Russian outlets are now reporting that a five-meter gash was made in the hull of the ship around the waterline and that the deck was supposedly opened up with intricate machinery exposed when the crane fell on it.
🇷🇺#Russian #Navy The floating dock PD-50 of the Shipyard №82 after the incident. Cargo cranes are missing.The floating dock completely sank. October 30, 2018. pic.twitter.com/tXK061Ei4v
— Capt(N) (@Capt_Navy) October 30, 2018
Admiral Kuznetsov is currently undergoing a much-needed complex overhaul after years of deferring the project. Even the ship’s notorious boilers have been pulled and new ones are being installed (see below). The aircraft carrier is tentatively scheduled to return to the fleet in 2021, but judging by other deep overhauls of large and complex Soviet-era fighting ships, it could end up taking significantly longer.
The unloading of turbo-pressurised boilers from aircraft carrier RFS 'Admiral Flota Sovetskogo Soyuza Kuznetsov'.Shipyard of 🇷🇺#Murmansk, #Russia. July 2018. Photo by ©花落成蚀 pic.twitter.com/Sqos1VBNNZ
— Capt(N) (@Capt_Navy) July 22, 2018
So once again, take all this with a tall shot of vodka as it seems very early for anyone to make the claim that everything will proceed as normal.
The fate of the dry dock—the only one of Russian origin that can accommodate the aircraft carrier—also remains unknown. If it was badly damaged, that alone could spell major trouble for the Kuznetsov’s future.
